Book Review: Leave The World Behind

A Two-Minute Book Review

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Clay and Amanda are on vacation in a luxurious Airbnb with their children when the homeowners show up with tales of blackouts and communication outages. From the publisher, “Suspenseful and provocative, Rumaan Alam’s third novel is keenly attuned to the complexities of parenthood, race, and class. Leave the World Behind explores how our closest bonds are reshaped — and unexpected new ones are forged — in moments of crisis.”

When I finish a book, I give it away or return it. Next book, please! But I wanted to keep this one and linger to reread its passages. Instead of devouring, I wanted to savor. This isn’t a book for speed. It is a book for depth. This isn’t a quick shower. It is a long soak in a hot tub.

LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND deserves time. I was immersed in the story, full of foreboding and human failing, frailty, and strength. The writing was exceptional; a big story in a small book.

I read this as an audiobook (with my FAVORITE NARRATOR Marin Ireland) on loan from my local library via the Libby App.

Curiously, many readers I respect were solid “Meh” or “Nah” on this one! What about you? If you read it, what did you think?